It's been a busy and fun week for me. I started the week by going to a Day of Remembrance event at the Chicago History Museum, observing the 75th anniversary of Executive Order 9066, authorizing the internment of 120,000 Japanese-Americans. The event included a reading of the order, two very moving short films, a poem written and read by Dwight Okita, inspired by his mother, and a panel discussion.
1) On Monday and Tuesday, my dear friend Lizy came to visit! We nerded out at the Art Institute, had lunch at Little Goat Diner, and visited the Lacuna artist lofts. We mistook a tattoo parlor for the entrance, which was a little awkward. We chatted with the owner and a customer and found out later they are the subjects of a show in Vh1. I noticed a camera in the shop, so we may end up on the show. (I doubt it, though! Ha!)
2) We talked to chef Abra Berens about cooking and farming and her passion for Midwestern food culture. For more about being a small farmer in the upper Midwest, check out our interview with farmer Amy Wallner.
3) Yesterday, Janet Mock published a powerful essay on what young people get about trans rights.
4) The Oscars are on Sunday! Sometimes I watch awards shows with friends, sometimes I text with my best friend from the red carpet all the way through Best Picture. Regardless, it's always fun to make your predictions!
5) Speaking of awards shows, I still can't get over Lemonade losing out on the Best Album Grammy to Adele's 25. I love Adele, but come on. Beyonce interviewed Solange recently about her new album, A Seat at the Table, and they get into all sorts of interesting stories about growing up and their parents' histories and how they influenced the two powerhouse sisters.
6) I loved this GE ad about Millie Dresselhaus, who passed away this week at 86. Known as the "Queen of Carbon," Dr. Dresselhaus was a physicist, materials scientist, and electrical engineer. A longtime professor at MIT, she got her PhD under Enrico Fermi and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and National Medal of Science. When she received the $1 million Kavli Prize in Nanoscience, she used the money to create a fund to support women faculty members at MIT.
